Systems and methods for LTE-WAN aggregation

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to methods and system for managing communication of packets. A transceiver node receives a plurality of IP data packets from an internet protocol (IP) network. The transceiver node separates the IP data packets into a first set and a second set of IP data packets, according to channel conditions of a cellular network and a wireless local area network (WLAN). The transceiver node transmits, to a user device, the first set of IP data packets using a cellular network protocol of the cellular network and the second set of IP data packets using a WLAN protocol of the WLAN, causing the user device to aggregate the first set of IP data packets transmitted using the cellular network protocol with the second set of IP data packets transmitted using the WLAN protocol.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/263,079, filed Sep. 12, 2016, which claims the benefit of andpriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/236,594, filed onOct. 2, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/296,497,filed on Feb. 17, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of networking,including, but not limited to, the coordination of Long-Term Evolution(LTE) and WiFi networking, and systems and methods for implementationsof LTE and WiFi Link Aggregation (LWA).

BACKGROUND

In the last few decades, the market for wireless communications deviceshas grown by orders of magnitude, fueled by the use of portable devices,and increased connectivity and data transfer between all manners ofdevices. Digital switching techniques have facilitated the large scaledeployment of affordable, easy-to-use wireless communication networks.Furthermore, digital and radio frequency (RF) circuit fabricationimprovements, as well as advances in circuit integration and otheraspects have made wireless equipment smaller, cheaper, and morereliable. Wireless communication can operate in accordance with variousstandards such as IEEE 802.11x, Bluetooth, global system for mobilecommunications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA). As increaseddata throughput and other developments occur, updates and new standardsare constantly being developed for adoption.

LTE is a standard for wireless communication. LAA-LTE (Licensed AssistedAccess-LTE, also called LTE-LAA, LAA, LTE-U, LTE Unlicensed orunlicensed LTE) generally makes use of an unlicensed spectrum (e.g., aspectrum not reserved for a particular company, network, etc.) in awireless network. Interference can occur when operating, transmitting,and/or receiving messages in the unlicensed spectrum.

LTE-Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Radio Level Integration andInterworking Enhancement (3GPP RP-151114) can enhance communicationnetwork-based WLAN offloading by improving user quality of experienceand network utilization and by providing more control to operators.

Solutions are proposed using the work done in 3GPP Release 12 for SmallCell Enhancement Dual Connectivity. Both User Plane solution 2C (BearerSwitch) and solution 3C (Bearer Split) are starting points foraggregating user plane traffic over both licensed and unlicensedspectrum. The data traffic transmitted over WLAN is transported asPacket Data Convergence Protocol Protocol Data Units (PDCP PDUs). Thisresults in the end point in the terminal device being the PDCP entity ofthe cellular protocol stack for both a bearer split and a bearer switch.

LTE-WLAN Radio Access Network (RAN) Level Integration Supporting LegacyWLAN is intended to define a radio access network (RAN) based LTE-WLANaggregation solution at a bearer level which addresses the legacy WLANdeployment scenarios. The solution uses Internet Protocol Security(IPSec) transport of the IP payloads associated with a Data Radio Bearer(DRB). An IPSec tunnel is built over WLAN using both user equipment andan evolved node B (eNB) as anchor points. A DRB is transported over oneaccess point at a time, either cellular or WLAN, although the terminalmay have access to both.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will become more fully understood from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, inwhich:

FIG. 1A is a block diagram depicting an embodiment of a networkenvironment including one or more wireless communication devices incommunication with one or more devices or stations;

FIGS. 1B and 1C are block diagrams depicting embodiments of computingdevices useful in connection with the methods and systems describedherein;

FIG. 1D is a block diagram of an example of a LTE-WLAN aggregationnetwork architecture including a WLAN network and an LTE networkaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a collocated WLAN accesspoint for the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D in a downlinkconfiguration according to some embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a data flow diagram for the collocated WLAN access pointillustrated in FIG. 2 according to some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of a non-collocated WLAN accesspoint for the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D in a downlinkconfiguration according to some embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a data flow diagram for the non-collocated WLAN access pointillustrated in FIG. 4 according to some embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of an IP flow splitting modulefor the access points illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 according to someembodiments;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of an IP flow slitting modulefor the access points illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 using mobilitycontrol according to some embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example of a collocated WLAN accesspoint for the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D in an uplinkconfiguration according to some embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example of a non-collocated WLAN accesspoint for the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D in an uplinkconfiguration according to some embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example of an IP flow splitting modulefor the access points illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 according to someembodiments;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example of an aggregation module forthe access points illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 according to someembodiments;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an example of an implementation optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an example of a configuration option foreNB and collocated WLAN coordination for the architecture illustrated inFIG. 1D according to some embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments;

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments; and

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration optionfor the architecture illustrated in FIG. 1D according to someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following standard(s) and specification(s), including any draftversions of such standard(s) and specification(s), are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entirety and are made part ofthe present disclosure for all purposes: Long-Term Evolution (LTE);LTE-Advanced (LTE-A); LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U); 3GPP; and IEEE 802.11.Although this disclosure can reference aspects of these standard(s) andspecification(s), the disclosure is in no way limited to these aspects.Various embodiments of these standard(s) and specification(s), such asLTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U), and licensed-assisted access (LAA) LTE(sometimes referred to as LTE-LAA or LAA), are within the scope of thedisclosure.

For purposes of reading the description of the various embodimentsbelow, the following descriptions of the sections of the specificationand their respective contents can be helpful:

-   -   Section A describes a network environment and computing        environment which can be useful for practicing embodiments        described herein; and    -   Section B describes embodiments of systems and methods for        LTE-WLAN aggregation.

A. Computing and Network Environment

Prior to discussing specific embodiments of the present solution,aspects of the operating environment as well as associated systemcomponents (e.g., hardware elements) are described in connection withthe methods and systems described herein. Referring to FIG. 1A, anembodiment of a network environment is depicted. In brief overview, thenetwork environment includes a wireless communication system thatincludes one or more base stations 106, one or more wirelesscommunication devices 102 and a network hardware component 192. Thewireless communication devices 102 can for example include laptopcomputers 102, tablets 102, personal computers 102 and/or cellulartelephone devices 102. The details of an embodiment of each wirelesscommunication device and/or base station are described in greater detailwith reference to FIGS. 1B and 1C. The network environment can be an adhoc network environment, an infrastructure wireless network environment,a subnet environment, etc., in one embodiment.

Terms such as “wireless communication device”, “user equipment,” “mobilestation,” “mobile,” “mobile device,” “subscriber station,” “subscriberequipment,” “access terminal,” “terminal,” “user device,” “userterminal,” “handset,” and similar terminology, can refer to a wirelessdevice utilized by a subscriber or user of a wireless communicationservice to receive or convey data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming,or substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream. The foregoingterms can be utilized interchangeably in the present disclosure.Likewise, terms such as “access point (AP),” “wireless access point(WAP),” “base station,” “base transceiver station”, “Node B.” “evolvedNode B (eNode B or eNB),” home Node B (HNB),” “home access point (HAP),”and similar terminology, can be utilized interchangeably in the presentdisclosure, and refer to a wireless network component or apparatus thatserves and receives data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming, orsubstantially any data-stream or signaling-stream from a set of wirelessdevices.

Referring again to FIG. 1A, the base stations 106 can be operablycoupled to the network hardware 192 via local area network connections.The network hardware 192, which can include a router, gateway, switch,bridge, modem, system controller, appliance, etc., can provide a localarea network connection for the communication system. Each of the basestations 106 can have an associated antenna or an antenna array tocommunicate with the wireless communication devices 102 in its area. Thewireless communication devices 102 can register with a particular accesspoint 106 to receive services from the communication system (e.g., via aSU-MIMO or MU-MIMO configuration). For direct connections (e.g.,point-to-point communications), some wireless communication devices 102can communicate directly via an allocated channel and communicationsprotocol. Some of the wireless communication devices 102 can be mobileor relatively static with respect to the access point 106.

In some embodiments, a base station 106 includes a device or module(including a combination of hardware and software) that allows wirelesscommunication devices 102 to connect to a wired network using LTE,Wi-Fi, and/or other standards. A base station 106 can be implemented,designed and/or built for operating in a wireless local area network(WLAN), or in a cellular network. A base station 106 can connect to arouter (e.g., via a wired network) as a standalone device in someembodiments. In other embodiments, a base station can be a component ofa router. A base station 106 can provide multiple devices 102 access toa network. A base station 106 can, for example, connect to a wiredEthernet connection and provide wireless connections using radiofrequency links for other devices 102 to utilize that wired connection.A base station 106 can be built and/or implemented to support a standardfor sending and receiving data using one or more radio frequencies.Those standards and the frequencies they use can be defined by the IEEEor 3GPP for example. A base station 106 can be implemented and/or usedto support cellular coverage, public Internet hotspots, and/or on aninternal network to extend the network's signal (e.g., Wi-Fi) range.

In some embodiments, the base stations 106 can be used for (e.g.,in-home or in-building) wireless networks (e.g., IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth,ZigBee, cellular, any other type of radio frequency based networkprotocol and/or variations thereof). Each of the wireless communicationdevices 102 can include a built-in radio and/or is coupled to a radio.Such wireless communication devices 102 and/or base stations 106 canoperate in accordance with the various aspects of the disclosure aspresented herein to enhance performance, reduce costs and/or size,and/or enhance broadband applications. Each wireless communicationdevices 102 can have the capacity to function as a client node seekingaccess to resources (e.g., data, and connection to networked nodes suchas servers) via one or more base stations 106.

The network connections can include any type and/or form of network andcan include any of the following: a point-to-point network, a broadcastnetwork, a telecommunications network, a data communication network, acomputer network. The topology of the network can be a bus, star, orring network topology. The network can be of any such network topologyas known to those ordinarily skilled in the art capable of supportingthe operations described herein. In some embodiments, different types ofdata can be transmitted via different protocols. In other embodiments,the same types of data can be transmitted via different protocols.

The communications device(s) 102 and base station(s) 106 can be deployedas and/or executed on any type and form of computing device, such as acomputer, network device or appliance capable of communicating on anytype and form of network and performing the operations described herein.FIGS. 1B and 1C depict block diagrams of a computing device 100 usefulfor practicing an embodiment of the wireless communication devices 102or the base station 106. As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, each computingdevice 100 includes a central processing unit 121, and a main memoryunit 122. As shown in FIG. 1B, a computing device 100 can include astorage device 128, an installation device 116, a network interface 118,an I/O controller 123, display devices 124 a-124 n, a keyboard 126 and apointing device 127, such as a mouse. The storage device 128 caninclude, without limitation, an operating system and/or software. Asshown in FIG. 1C, each computing device 100 can also include additionaloptional elements, such as a memory port 103, a bridge 170, one or moreinput/output devices 130 a-130 n (generally referred to using referencenumeral 130), and a cache memory 140 in communication with the centralprocessing unit 121.

The central processing unit 121 is any logic circuitry that responds toand processes instructions fetched from the main memory unit 122. Inmany embodiments, the central processing unit 121 is provided by amicroprocessor unit, such as: those manufactured by Intel Corporation ofMountain View, Calif.; those manufactured by International BusinessMachines of White Plains, N.Y.; those manufactured by ARM Holdings, plcof Cambridge, England, or those manufactured by Advanced Micro Devicesof Sunnyvale, Calif. The computing device 100 can be based on any ofthese processors, or any other processor capable of operating asdescribed herein.

Main memory unit 122 can be one or more memory chips capable of storingdata and allowing any storage location to be directly accessed by themicroprocessor 121, such as any type or variant of Static random accessmemory (SRAM), Dynamic random access memory (DRAM), Ferroelectric RAM(FRAM), NAND Flash, NOR Flash and Solid State Drives (SSD). The mainmemory 122 can be based on any of the above described memory chips, orany other available memory chips capable of operating as describedherein. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, the processor 121communicates with main memory 122 via a system bus 150 (described inmore detail below). FIG. 1C depicts an embodiment of a computing device100 in which the processor communicates directly with main memory 122via a memory port 103. For example, in FIG. 1C the main memory 122 canbe DRDRAM.

FIG. 1C depicts an embodiment in which the main processor 121communicates directly with cache memory 140 via a secondary bus,sometimes referred to as a backside bus. In other embodiments, the mainprocessor 121 communicates with cache memory 140 using the system bus150. Cache memory 140 typically has a faster response time than mainmemory 122 and is provided by, for example, SRAM, BSRAM, or EDRAM. Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 1C, the processor 121 communicates withvarious I/O devices 130 a-n via a local system bus 150. Various busescan be used to connect the central processing unit 121 to any of the I/Odevices 130, for example, a VESA VL bus, an ISA bus, an EISA bus, aMicroChannel Architecture (MCA) bus, a PCI bus, a PCI-X bus, aPCI-Express bus, or a NuBus. For embodiments in which the I/O device isa video display 124, the processor 121 can use an Advanced Graphics Port(AGP) to communicate with the display 124. FIG. 1C depicts an embodimentof a computer 100 in which the main processor 121 can communicatedirectly with I/O device 130 b, for example via HYPERTRANSPORT, RAPIDIO,or INFINIBAND communications technology. FIG. 1C also depicts anembodiment in which local busses and direct communication are mixed: theprocessor 121 communicates with I/O device 130 a using a localinterconnect bus while communicating with I/O device directly.

A wide variety of I/O devices 130 a-n can be present in the computingdevice 100. Input devices include keyboards, mice, trackpads,trackballs, microphones, dials, touch pads, touch screen, and drawingtablets. Output devices include video displays, speakers, inkjetprinters, laser printers, projectors and dye-sublimation printers. TheI/O devices 130 a-n can be controlled by an I/O controller 123 as shownin FIG. 1B. The I/O controller can control one or more I/O devices suchas a keyboard 126 and a pointing device 127, e.g., a mouse or opticalpen. Furthermore, an I/O device can also provide storage and/or aninstallation medium 116 for the computing device 100. In still otherembodiments, the computing device 100 can provide USB connections (notshown) to receive handheld USB storage devices such as the USB FlashDrive line of devices manufactured by Twintech Industry, Inc. of LosAlamitos, Calif.

Referring again to FIG. 1B, the computing device 100 can support anysuitable installation device 116, such as a disk drive, a CD-ROM drive,a CD-R/RW drive, a DVD-ROM drive, a flash memory drive, tape drives ofvarious formats, USB device, hard-drive, a network interface, or anyother device suitable for installing software and programs. Thecomputing device 100 can further include a storage device, such as oneor more hard disk drives or redundant arrays of independent disks, forstoring an operating system and other related software, and for storingapplication software programs such as any program or software 120 forimplementing (e.g., built and/or designed for) the systems and methodsdescribed herein. Optionally, any of the installation devices 116 couldalso be used as the storage device. Additionally, the operating systemand the software can be run from a bootable medium.

Furthermore, the computing device 100 can include a network interface118 to interface to the network 104 through a variety of connectionsincluding, but not limited to, standard telephone lines, LAN or WANlinks (e.g., 802.11, T1, T3, 56 kb, X.25, SNA, DECNET), broadbandconnections (e.g., ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM, Gigabit Ethernet,Ethernet-over-SONET), wireless connections, or some combination of anyor all of the above. Connections can be established using a variety ofcommunication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, IPX, SPX, NetBIOS, Ethernet,ARCNET, SONET, SDH, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), RS232, IEEE802.11, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad, CDMA, GSM, WiMax, LTE, LTE-A and directasynchronous connections). In one embodiment, the computing device 100communicates with other computing devices 100′ via any type and/or formof gateway or tunneling protocol such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) orTransport Layer Security (TLS). The network interface 118 can include abuilt-in network adapter, network interface card, PCMCIA network card,card bus network adapter, wireless network adapter, USB network adapter,modem or any other device suitable for interfacing the computing device100 to any type of network capable of communication and performing theoperations described herein.

In some embodiments, the computing device 100 can include or beconnected to one or more display devices 124 a-124 n. As such, any ofthe I/O devices 130 a-130 n and/or the I/O controller 123 can includeany type and/or form of suitable hardware, software, or combination ofhardware and software to support, enable or provide for the connectionand use of the display device(s) 124 a-124 n by the computing device100. For example, the computing device 100 can include any type and/orform of video adapter, video card, driver, and/or library to interface,communicate, connect or otherwise use the display device(s) 124 a-124 n.In one embodiment, a video adapter can include multiple connectors tointerface to the display device(s) 124 a-124 n. In other embodiments,the computing device 100 can include multiple video adapters, with eachvideo adapter connected to the display device(s) 124 a-124 n. In someembodiments, any portion of the operating system of the computing device100 can be implemented for using multiple displays 124 a-124 n. Oneordinarily skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate the variousways and embodiments that a computing device 100 can be implemented tohave one or more display devices 124 a-124 n.

In further embodiments, an I/O device 130 a-n can be a bridge betweenthe system bus 150 and an external communication bus, such as a USB bus,an Apple Desktop Bus, an RS-232 serial connection, a SCSI bus, aFireWire bus, a FireWire 800 bus, an Ethernet bus, an AppleTalk bus, aGigabit Ethernet bus, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode bus, a FibreChannelbus, a Serial Attached small computer system interface bus, a USBconnection, or a HDMI bus.

A computing device 100 of the sort depicted in FIGS. 1B and 1C canoperate under the control of an operating system, which controlscheduling of tasks and access to system resources. The computing device100 can be running any operating system such as any of the versions ofthe MICROSOFT WINDOWS operating systems, the different releases of theUnix and Linux operating systems, any version of the MAC OS forMacintosh computers, any embedded operating system, any real-timeoperating system, any open source operating system, any proprietaryoperating system, any operating systems for mobile computing devices, orany other operating system capable of running on the computing deviceand performing the operations described herein. Typical operatingsystems include, but are not limited to: Android, produced by GoogleInc.; WINDOWS 7 and 8, produced by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond,Wash.; MAC OS, produced by Apple Computer of Cupertino, Calif.; WebOS,produced by Research In Motion (RIM); OS/2, produced by InternationalBusiness Machines of Armonk, N.Y.; and Linux, a freely-availableoperating system distributed by Caldera Corp. of Salt Lake City, Utah,or any type and/or form of a Unix operating system, among others.

The computer system 100 can be any workstation, telephone, sensor,desktop computer, laptop or notebook computer, server, handheldcomputer, mobile telephone, or other portable telecommunications device,media playing device, a gaming system, mobile computing device, or anyother type and/or form of computing, telecommunications or media devicethat is capable of communication. The computer system 100 has sufficientprocessor power and memory capacity to perform the operations describedherein.

In some embodiments, the computing device 100 can have differentprocessors, operating systems, and input devices consistent with thedevice. For example, in one embodiment, the computing device 100 is asmart phone, mobile device, tablet or personal digital assistant. Instill other embodiments, the computing device 100 is an Android-basedmobile device, an iPhone smart phone manufactured by Apple Computer ofCupertino, Calif., or a Blackberry or WebOS-based handheld device orsmart phone, such as the devices manufactured by Research In MotionLimited. Moreover, the computing device 100 can be any workstation,desktop computer, laptop or notebook computer, server, handheldcomputer, mobile telephone, any other computer, or other form ofcomputing or telecommunications device that is capable of communicationand that has sufficient processor power and memory capacity to performthe operations described herein.

Aspects of the operating environments and components described abovewill become apparent in the context of the systems and methods disclosedherein.

B. LTE-WLAN Aggregation

Before turning to the figures, which illustrate the exemplaryembodiments in detail, it should be understood that the application isnot limited to the details or methodology set forth in the descriptionor illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that theterminology is for the purpose of description only and should not beregarded as limiting.

Embodiments of the present solution describe one or more implementationsto be supported by a user equipment (UE) in order to benefit from acombined throughput over LTE and WiFi in a LTE-WiFi Link Aggregation(LWA) system, such as using an IP level splitting solution describedherein. In some implementations, a small cell eNB has a collocated WiFiAccess Point (AP) or is connected to a non-collocated external WiFinetwork that is trusted. In these cases and for some implementations,the IPSec tunneling between the eNB and the UE may be ignored. Thesecurity over WiFi can be maintained via WiFi WPA mechanisms andimplementation. Such mechanisms and implementations may deploy orimplement an initial authentication and/or connection phase to the WiFiAP.

In some embodiments, managing communication of packets includes:receiving, by a transceiver node, a plurality of IP data packets from aninternet protocol (IP) network; separating, by the transceiver node, theIP data packets into a first set and a second set of IP data packets,according to channel conditions of a cellular network and a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN); and transmitting, by the transceiver node toa user device, the first set of IP data packets using a cellular networkprotocol of the cellular network and the second set of IP data packetsusing a WLAN protocol of the WLAN, causing the user device to aggregatethe first set of IP data packets transmitted using the cellular networkprotocol with the second set of IP data packets transmitted using theWLAN protocol.

In some embodiments, managing communication of packets includes:providing, by an application on a user device, a plurality of IP datapackets; separating, by the user device, the plurality of IP datapackets into a first set and a second set of IP data packets, accordingto channel conditions of a cellular network and a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN); and transmitting, from the user device to a transceivernode, the first set of IP data packets using a cellular network protocolof the cellular network and the second set of IP data packets using aWLAN protocol of the WLAN, causing the transceiver node to aggregate thefirst set of IP data packets transmitted using the cellular networkprotocol with the second set of IP data packets transmitted using theWLAN protocol.

In some embodiments, managing communication of packets includes:receiving, from a user device at a transceiver node, a first set of IPdata packets through a cellular network; receiving, from the user deviceat the transceiver node, a second set of IP data packets through awireless local area network (WLAN); aggregating, at the transceivernode, the first set of IP data packets with the second set of IP datapackets into a third set of internet protocol packets; and transmitting,by the transceiver node, the third set of internet protocol data packetsto an internet protocol network.

In some embodiments, the present solution is used to support LWAdownlink. For example, in some embodiments, WiFi is used for sharingdownlink user data while all uplink traffic remains over cellularbearers. In some embodiments, this approach may be introduced tosimplify the system design by avoiding bearer establishment and resourceallocation which is not supported over WiFi.

In some embodiments, the present solution may be implemented usingAndroid based user equipment handsets. The present solution may beapplicable to all LTE plus WiFi capable UE devices regardless of itshardware or OS types and versions.

A UE device may be implemented, constructed or designed to support thepresent LWA solution. In some embodiments, the present solution may besupported by the UE device with software or firmware changes.

In some embodiments, a UE device is implemented, constructed or designedto support dual connection. In some cases, a UE may deactivate its LTEmodem once the UE's WiFi modem is activated and connected to a WiFiaccess point and an IP address is obtained. To support the LWA solution(or any version of LWA), this default behavior may be changed. In someembodiments, the UE is designed, constructed and implemented to keepboth the LTE and WiFi interfaces activated at the same time. Eachinterface may maintain its own IP address which is different between thetwo interfaces.

In some embodiments, a UE device is implemented, constructed or designedto set LTE Model as the default connection. In some cases, a UE may setthe default interface to WiFi. When WiFi is the default interface,applications may send packets over WiFi with the UE's WiFi IP address asthe source IP Address. To have all uplink data communications remainover LTE, the default interface is changed to be LTE during LWAoperation.

In some embodiments, a UE device is implemented, constructed or designedto provide an ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) response for all localinterfaces. When packets from the eNB to the UE are sent over WiFi, thepackets will be sent with the UE's WiFi MAC address and LTE IP addressas destination addresses. To resolve the UE's WiFi MAC address, the eNBwill send an ARP request over WiFi with the UE's LTE IP address. The UEmay be implemented to respond to the ARP request with its WiFi MACaddress. In some embodiments, a default configuration in the operatingsystem kernel, such as for Linux, is to follow this behavior. Thisbehavior and configuration may be controlled with a proc value.

In summary, with the above implementations: (i) the UE OS can send someor all uplink IP packets via the default LTE interface, (ii) the UE OScan set the Source Address of some or all uplink packets to be the UE'sLTE IP address (associated with the default interface); (iii) the remoteside of the application (e.g. video server) can set the Destination IPAddress of some or all downlink packets destined to the UE to be theUE's LTE IP address, in response to the uplink packets that have theUE's LTE IP address as the Source IP Address, (iv) the downlink IPpackets sent over both LTE and WiFi by the eNB can have the UE's LTE IPaddress as the Destination IP Address; (v) the downlink IP packetsreceived over both LTE and WiFi by the UE can have the UE's LTE IPaddress as the Destination IP Address; and/or (vi) since the downlink IPpackets received over both LTE and WiFi have the same Destination IPaddress that is associated with the default LTE interface, the IP stackof the UE OS can aggregate these packets and present them to the targetapplication.

In some embodiments, a version of the public-domain Android source codemay be used to illustrate an implementation. The modifications to thissource code may be concentrated in the ConnectivityService.java filewhich decides on the action for each network interface according to itsscore. The score can be calculated according to received signal strengthindicator (RSSI) with significant advantage factor assigned to the WiFiinterface and thus makes WiFi favorable over LTE. In certain embodimentsof the present solution, the cellular interface is to remain the defaultinterface regardless of the scores. As keeping both interfaces runningcosts more battery power than running a single interface, one may, insome embodiments, enable the LWA mode selectively or when needed ordesired.

In some embodiments, the present systems and methods reduce inefficientusage of limited resources associated with a bearer split architectureas it applies to the scheduler. The scheduler conventionally makesinefficient use of limited resources. For example, if a transceiver node(e.g., eNB) operates on a 20 MHz bandwidth, there are only 100 usersthat may be serviced each millisecond. Users with poor or no WLANcoverage have to compete for Master eNB (MeNB) resources with the usershaving good WLAN coverage, in one or more embodiments. Per packetscheduling for a bearer with a quality of service class identifier (QCI)equal to one may create a large number of out-of-order packets (e.g.,50% of the packets) for a typical average hybrid automatic repeatrequest (HARQ) retransmission of four and an equal split over bothaccesses, in one or more embodiments.

In some embodiments, the present systems and methods increase networkand processing efficiency compared with a bearer split architecture asit applies to user equipment. Conventionally, received downlink packetsover WLAN are to be forwarded to a cellular modem for PDCP processingand reordering. Similarly, uplink packets that are to be sent over WLANare to first go through the PDCP processing in the cellular modem beforebeing packetized for WLAN access, in one or more embodiments. There istraffic burstiness on downlink because the cellular network acts as aregulator of the WLAN link traffic, in one or more embodiments.

In some embodiments, the present systems and methods simplify thecomplex signaling associated with a bearer split architecture as itapplies to an MeNB. Conventionally, complex signaling is used betweenthe egress Xw interface, the egress cellular interface, and the ingressS1 interface. The signaling is on the order of O(N) where N is thenumber of packets to be processed in the downlink. There are also highbuffer requirements for the reordering buffer and unnecessary trafficburstiness on uplink traffic.

Referring generally to the figures, LTE-WLAN Aggregation (LWA) systemsusing IP flow splitting are shown and described. In various embodiments,the present systems transport PDCP PDUs of a DRB over cellular networksand PDCP Service Data Units (SDUs) (e.g., IP packets) of a DRB over WLANnetworks. Such systems result in a new WLAN Data Radio Bearer (WDRB)that includes a new PDCP entity type.

In some embodiments, the WDRB may be served over both cellular and WLANnetworks when both are simultaneously available. However, when trafficis served over a WLAN, the data between an eNB and user equipment ordevices may be exchanged as PDCP SDUs instead of PDCP PDUs. The PDCPSDU, or IP packet, is transported over the WLAN either using a Layer 2or a Layer 3 transport.

The PDCP entity type may apply different encryption algorithms for datathat is sent over the cellular network versus data that is sent over theWLAN. Robust Header Compression (ROHC) does not need to be applied fordata sent over the WLAN, in one or more embodiments. The PDCP entity isintended to prevent two packets of the same IP flow (e.g., same 5 tuple,IP source, IP destination, protocol, port source, port destination)travelling over both network types or accesses at the same time, in oneor more embodiments. Packets of the same IP flow may use one networktype at a time, in one or more embodiments.

A packet successfully received over a WLAN may be sent either to theupper layers of the user equipment or device directly (in case ofdownlink traffic) or may be forwarded to an S1 interface towards aServing Gateway (S-GW) (in case of uplink traffic), in one or moreembodiments. This architecture allows for the elimination of a reorderbuffer on both the terminal and the eNB, in one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1D, a network architecture for a macro/small celldesign that integrates an LTE network and a WLAN or WiFi network withLWA support is shown and described according to some embodiments. TheLTE network includes a RAN and an LTE Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Theillustrated RAN includes one or more small cells having LWA support withcollocated WiFi capabilities and one or more macro or small cells havingLWA support without collocated WiFi. Small cells are low-powered nodesthat operate in various ranges. The small cells of the presentdisclosure are designed to operate at least in part in the unlicensedspectrum (e.g., a spectrum not reserved for a particular company,network, etc.). In some embodiments, the RAN may include cells havingcollocated WiFi or include cells without collocated WiFi. In someembodiments, the illustrated small cells may be macro cells.

The cells having collocated WiFi are in communication with one or moreuser devices or user equipment via licensed cellular (e.g., LTE)communication and unlicensed WiFi communication, in one or moreembodiments. The cells without collocated WiFi are in communication withone or more user devices via licensed cellular communication, in one ormore embodiments. For the cells without WiFi collocation, the userdevices communicate directly with the WLAN network via unlicensed WiFicommunication, in one or more embodiments. The RAN, and particularly anycells without collocated WiFi, communicates with the WLAN or WiFinetwork via a WiFi communication link, in one or more embodiments. TheWLAN includes one or more WiFi access points and one or more WiFicontrollers or gateways, in one or more embodiments.

The RAN is in communication with the LTE EPC for communication with anIP network, in one or more embodiments. The LTE EPC includes a servinggateway, a packet data network (PDN) gateway, a mobility managemententity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), and/or an authentication,authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, in one or more embodiments.The cells having collocated WiFi provide data packets to and receivedata packets from the serving gateway that are received from or intendedfor a user device via both WiFi communication and cellularcommunication, in one or more embodiments. The cells without collocatedWiFi provide data packets to or receive data packets from the servinggateway that are received from or intended for a user device viacellular communication and via WiFi communication received from the WLANnetwork, in one or more embodiments. The serving gateway communicatesdata packets with the PDN network, which communicates with the IPnetwork, in one or more embodiments. The cells and the serving gatewaymay also communicate with the MME that is coupled to the HSS and AAAserver.

Referring to FIGS. 2-7, embodiments of systems and processes forproviding downlink support in an LWA system according to someembodiments is depicted. Referring to FIG. 2, an example systemarchitecture is shown for a collocated WLAN access point according tosome embodiments. The illustrated access point is applicable to standardcommercial handsets or other user equipment in some embodiments. Anapplication server provides an IP packet to a serving gateway, whichforwards the data to a backhaul interface of an eNB. The backhaulinterface provides IP packets to an IP flow splitting module in the eNBthat splits the IP packets into two paths depending on whether they areintended for WLAN communication or cellular communication. The WLAN IPpackets are sent to a WLAN AP interface in the eNB and forwarded to aWLAN STA interface in the user equipment using WLAN frames. The cellular(e.g., LTE) IP packets are sent to an LTE eNB interface in the eNB andforwarded to an LTE user equipment interface via a DRB. The LTEinterfaces on each of the eNB and user equipment include a PDCP module,a radio link control (RLC) module, and a media access control/physicallayer (MAC/PHY) module. The split IP flow in the user equipment from theLTE user equipment interface and the WLAN STA interface is aggregated bya TCP/UDP/IP module and provided as a single IP stream to an applicationon the user equipment. The transmission of IP flow packets occurssimultaneously over the cellular and WLAN path if data is available forboth paths, in some embodiments. The user equipment does not need towait for the receipt of all packets before manipulating the receiveddata, in one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 3, an example of a data path is shown for thecollocated WLAN access point of FIG. 2 according to some embodiments.The IP flow at the collocated WLAN access point begins with applicationdata encapsulated as IP flow packets from an application server anddestined for user equipment, in one or more embodiments. The IP flowpackets are sent through a GPRS Tunneling Protocol User Plane (GTP-U)tunnel having a tunnel source of the serving gateway and a tunneldestination of the eNB as an S1 data bear IP packet, in one or moreembodiments. The IP flow packets are sent through an LTE stack as DRBdata payloads or packets or are sent through a local WLAN as datapayloads or packets of WLAN data frames in some embodiments. The IP flowpackets from both the WLAN Path and the LTE Path are aggregated by theuser equipment TCP/UDP/IP stack (because they share the same destinationIP address/port number) and are presented to the application, in one ormore embodiments. The contents of the IP flow packets as they passthrough each stage are illustrated according to some embodiments.

Referring specifically to FIG. 4, an example system architecture isshown for a non-collocated WLAN access point according to someembodiments. The illustrated access point is applicable to commercialhandsets or other user equipment in some embodiments. An applicationserver provides an IP packet to a serving gateway, which forwards thedata to a backhaul interface of an eNB, in one or more embodiments. Thebackhaul interface provides IP packets to an IP flow splitting module inthe eNB that splits the IP packets into two paths depending on whetherthey are intended for WLAN communication or cellular communication, inone or more embodiments. The WLAN IP packets are sent to an IPSectransport module in the eNB and forwarded to a WLAN access pointinterface in the WLAN network through an IPSec tunnel, in one or moreembodiments. The WLAN access point provides the WLAN IP packets orframes to a WLAN STA interface and to an IPSec module in the userequipment, in one or more embodiments. The cellular (e.g., LTE) IPpackets are sent to an LTE eNB interface in the eNB and forwarded to anLTE user equipment interface via a DRB, in one or more embodiments. TheLTE interfaces on each of the eNB and user equipment include a PDCPmodule, a radio link control (RLC) module, and/or a media accesscontrol/physical layer (MAC/PHY) module, in one or more embodiments. Thesplit IP flow in the user equipment from the LTE user equipmentinterface and the WLAN STA interface/IPSec module is aggregated by aTCP/UDP/IP module and provided as a single IP stream to an applicationon the user equipment, in one or more embodiments. The IPSec modulesillustrated herein may use any form of IP security protocol orencryption and decryption as may be appropriate for WiFi securitypurposes, in one or more embodiments. The transmission of IP flowpackets occur simultaneously over the cellular and WLAN path if data isavailable for both paths in some embodiments. The user equipment doesnot need to wait for the receipt of all packets before manipulating thereceived data, in one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 5, an example data path is shown for thenon-collocated WLAN access point of FIG. 4 according to someembodiments. The IP flow at the collocated WLAN access point begins withapplication data encapsulated as IP flow packets from an applicationserver and destined for user equipment, in one or more embodiments. TheIP flow packets are sent through a GTP-U tunnel having a tunnel sourceof the serving gateway and a tunnel destination of the eNB as an S1 databear IP packet in some embodiments. The IP flow packets are sent throughan LTE stack as DRB data payloads or packets or are sent through anIPSec tunnel as an IPSec tunnel packet in some embodiments. The IPSecpackets are sent through a local WLAN as data payloads of WLAN dataframes, in one or more embodiments. The IP flow packets from both theWLAN Path and the LTE Path are aggregated by the user equipmentTCP/UDP/IP stack (because they share the same destination IPaddress/port number) and are presented to the application, in one ormore embodiments. The contents of the IP flow packets as they passthrough each stage are illustrated according to some embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic illustrating an example of an eNB IPflow splitting module is shown according to some embodiments. The IPflow splitting module identifies the serving PDCP entity according to anincoming downlink packet S1 tunnel ID. The splitting module includes anIP flow classification module to classify the IP flow for an LTE or WiFinetwork, in one or more embodiments. The splitting module is implementedvia a hash function (e.g. CRC-16) of the 5-tuple address info (source IPaddress/port number, destination IP address/port number, protocol) anduses traffic flow templates to classify packets in some embodiments. Ifthe incoming packet belongs to a flow for which there was at leastanother packet forwarded to one of the networks or access paths (e.g.,WiFi or LTE) in the last time interval, then the incoming packet is alsosent over the access path to the user equipment in some embodiments.Otherwise the packet goes through an IP flow splitting algorithm moduleto identify the access over which it is to be delivered in someembodiments. The IP Flow Splitting Algorithm is designed to adaptivelydistribute the IP Flow packets between the WLAN path and the LTE pathaccording to the channel conditions of WLAN and LTE, in one or moreembodiments. Distribution can address overall performance, loadbalancing, and user/operator preferences, in one or more embodiments.WLAN and LTE channel condition detection is based on the measurements ofchannel activity statistics obtained from sources such as WLAN/LTEMAC/PHY, in one or more embodiments. The statistics can include packeterror rates, data rates, MCS values, ACK/NACK, and channel loading data.For example, if a particular WLAN connection is strong while a cellularconnection is weak, more IP packets are provided to the WLAN path ratherthan to the cellular path in some embodiments. Conversely, if aparticular cellular connection is strong while a WLAN connection isweak, more IP packets are provided to the cellular path than to the WLANpath in some embodiments. The data on the packets that is transmittedover one path or the other may be determined based on a prioritizationprocess, in one or more embodiments. For example, packets where dataintegrity is of utmost importance (e.g., OS commands) may be transmittedover the stronger connection path.

Referring to FIG. 7, a schematic illustrating the IP flow splittingmodule of FIG. 6 having mobility support is shown according to someembodiments. A mobility control input is coordinated by the LTE hand-offprocedure, in one or more embodiments. For example, the procedure maydistribute IP flow packets to the LTE path in advance of LTE hand-off,in one or more embodiments. The mobility control of the IP flowsplitting algorithm may be transparent to the user equipment. The figurealso illustrates how when IP packets for the LTE path are passedthrough, the output to the WLAN path is closed, in one or moreembodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 8-11, examples of systems and processes for providinguplink support in an LWA system according to some embodiments isdepicted. Referring specifically to FIG. 8, an example systemarchitecture is shown for a collocated WLAN access point according tosome embodiments. The illustrated access point may involve some softwarechanges to standard commercial handsets or other user equipment in someembodiments. The system is similar to the system of FIG. 2, but with thedata flow moving in the opposite direction, the splitter and aggregatorchange locations to the user equipment and eNB, respectively, in one ormore embodiments. In some embodiments, the splitting and aggregatingcomponents may be located on both the user equipment and the eNB tosupport both uplink and downlink operation. An application on the userequipment provides IP flow data to the TCP/UDP/IP module, which providesthe IP packets to an IP flow splitting module on the user equipment, inone or more embodiments. The IP flow splitting module splits the IPpackets into two paths depending on whether they are intended for WLANcommunication or cellular communication, in one or more embodiments. TheWLAN packets are sent to a WLAN STA interface while the cellular (e.g.,LTE) packets are sent to an LTE user equipment interface, in one or moreembodiments. The WLAN IP packets are sent to a WLAN AP interface in theeNB using WLAN frames, in one or more embodiments. The cellular (e.g.,LTE) IP packets are sent to an LTE eNB interface in the eNB via a DRB,in one or more embodiments. The LTE interfaces on each of the eNB anduser equipment include a PDCP module, an RLC module, and a MAC/PHYmodule, in one or more embodiments. The IP data packets from each of theWLAN AP interface and LTE eNB interface are provided to an IP flowaggregation module on the eNB, in one or more embodiments. Theaggregation module is designed to aggregate the packets from the twostreams into a single IP flow packet stream that is transmitted to abackhaul interface of the eNB. The backhaul interface transmits the IPflow data packets to a serving gateway on an EPC and IP network via aGTP tunnel, in one or more embodiments. The serving gateway provides theIP flow packets to an application server, in one or more embodiments.The transmission of IP flow packets occurs simultaneously over thecellular and WLAN path if data is available for both paths in someembodiments. The eNB does not need to wait for the receipt of allpackets before manipulating the received data, in one or moreembodiments.

Referring to FIG. 9, an example system architecture is shown for anon-collocated WLAN access point according to some embodiments. Theillustrated access point may involve some software changes to standardcommercial handsets or other user equipment in some embodiments. Thesystem is similar to the system of FIG. 4, but with the data flow movingin the opposite direction, the splitter and aggregator change locationsto the user equipment and eNB, respectively, in one or more embodiments.In some embodiments, the splitting and aggregating components may belocated on both the user equipment and the eNB to support both uplinkand downlink operation. An application on the user equipment provides IPflow data to the TCP/UDP/IP module, which provides the IP packets to anIP flow splitting module on the user equipment, in one or moreembodiments. The IP flow splitting module splits the IP packets into twopaths depending on whether they are intended for WLAN communication orcellular communication, in one or more embodiments. The WLAN packets aresent to an IPSec module for transmission to a WLAN STA interface throughan IPSec tunnel while the cellular (e.g., LTE) packets are sent to anLTE user equipment interface, in one or more embodiments. The WLAN IPpackets are sent to a WLAN AP interface in the WLAN network using WLANframes and then transmitted through an IPsec tunnel to an IPSec modulein the eNB, in one or more embodiments. The cellular (e.g., LTE) IPpackets are sent to an LTE eNB interface in the eNB via a DRB, in one ormore embodiments. The LTE interfaces on each of the eNB and userequipment include a PDCP module, an RLC module, and a MAC/PHY module, inone or more embodiments. The IP data packets from each of the WLAN APinterface and LTE eNB interface are provided to an IP flow aggregationmodule on the eNB, in one or more embodiments. The aggregation module isconfigured to aggregate the packets from the two streams into a singleIP flow packet stream that is transmitted to a backhaul interface of theeNB, in one or more embodiments. The backhaul interface transmits the IPflow data packets to a serving gateway on an EPC and IP network via aGTP tunnel, in one or more embodiments. The serving gateway provides theIP flow packets to an application server, in one or more embodiments.The transmission of IP flow packets occurs simultaneously over thecellular and WLAN path if data is available for both paths in someembodiments. The eNB does not need to wait for the receipt of allpackets before manipulating the received data, in one or moreembodiments.

Referring to FIG. 10, a schematic illustrating an example of a userequipment IP flow splitting module is shown according to someembodiments. The user equipment IP flow splitting module includes an IPflow splitting algorithm and WLAN and LTE channel condition detection,in one or more embodiments. The user equipment IP Flow splittingalgorithm is designed to adaptively distribute the IP Flow packetsbetween the WLAN path and the LTE path according to the channelconditions of WLAN and LTE, in one or more embodiments. The distributioncan address overall performance, load balancing, user/operatorpreferences, etc., in one or more embodiments. Similar to the IP flowsplitting module of the eNB for downlink packets, if the uplink packetbelongs to an IP flow for which there was at least another packetforwarded to one of the particular network or access paths (e.g., WiFior LTE) in the last time interval, the packet is sent over the sameaccess path in some embodiments. Otherwise the packet is sent throughthe IP flow splitting algorithm to identify the access path over whichit is to be delivered in some embodiments. WLAN and LTE channelcondition detection may be based on the measurements of channel activitystatistics obtained from sources such as WLAN, LTE and MAC/PHY. Thestatistics can include packet error rates, data rates, MCS values,ACK/NACK, channel loading, etc., in one or more embodiments. Forexample, if a particular WLAN connection is strong while a cellularconnection is weak, more IP packets may be provided to the WLAN paththan to the cellular path, in one or more embodiments. Conversely, if aparticular cellular connection is strong while a WLAN connection isweak, more IP packets may be provided to the cellular path than to theWLAN path, in one or more embodiments. The data on the packets that istransmitted over one path or the other may be determined according to aprioritization process, in one or more embodiments. For example, packetswhere data integrity is of utmost importance (e.g., OS commands) may betransmitted over the stronger connection path.

Referring to FIG. 11, the eNB IP flow aggregation module of FIGS. 8 and9 is illustrated according to some embodiments. The aggregation moduleincludes an evolved packet switched system (EPS) bearer identificationcomponent and an aggregation component, in one or more embodiments. EPSbearer identification may be processed based on DRB identificationinformation carried in the incoming packet header, in one or moreembodiments. Aggregation of classified IP flows into a single EPS beareris includes assigning packets received over either of the access pointsto the same EPS bearer on a first come first serve procedure, in one ormore embodiments. This procedure does not require packet re-orderingbecause the packets of the same IP flow are delivered in order over onesingle access point, in one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 12-20, example implementation options of the abovedescribed systems and data flows are shown and described according tovarious embodiments. Referring specifically to FIG. 12, an exampledevelopment platform is shown that includes the architecture describedabove according to some embodiments. A circuit board includes one ormore WiFi cards or components, one or more LTE component carriers, and aprocessor or chipset designed to execute operations incorporatingvarious portions of the functionality described above in someembodiments. Referring to FIG. 13, an example coordination processbetween an eNB and a collocated WLAN AP in a small cell is illustratedaccording to some embodiments. The coordination interfaces include aperipheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface and a generalpurpose input/output (GPIO) interface or gigachip interface (GCI). ThePCIe interface is designed for data and message exchanges including IPflow packets and control messages, in one or more embodiments. The GPIOor GCI is designed for real-time signals and events, such ascoordination trigger signals and channel events (busy/idle), in one ormore embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 14-17, multiple example configuration options areillustrated for LWA support according to various embodiments. Referringspecifically to FIG. 14, a configuration is illustrated for LWA thatincludes a collocated 802.11ac AP and a single licensed carrieraccording to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 15, an exampleconfiguration is illustrated for LWA that includes a collocated 802.11acAP and dual licensed carriers according to some embodiments. Referringto FIG. 16, a configuration is illustrated for LWA that includesnon-collocated WLAN and a single licensed carrier. The WLAN data passesthrough an Ethernet connection to an external WLAN AP, in one or moreembodiments. Referring to FIG. 17, a configuration is illustrated forLWA that includes non-collocated WLAN and dual licensed carriers, in oneor more embodiments. The WLAN data passes through an Ethernet connectionto an external WLAN AP, in one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 18-20, configuration options are illustrated forconcurrent LWA and LTE-U/Pre-LAA support according to some embodiments.LAA-LTE (or LTE-U) is a standard for wireless communication that makesuse of the unlicensed spectrum. In various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, an LAA-LTE access point and one or more WiFi access pointsare integrated to improve the use of the unlicensed spectrum (e.g., toavoid interference). In some embodiments, the small cell design is usedto support concurrent dual-band WiFi access points (e.g., dual-band802.11n and 802.11ac). In some embodiments, the small cell design isimplemented to adhere to a listen-before-talk protocol, allowing theLAA-LTE access point to achieve the same level of fairness (e.g., notusing a channel already used) as a WiFi access point, and furtherallowing multiple LAA-LTE access points to coexist with one another. Insome embodiments, one of the WiFi access points is used as a coordinatorfor LAA-LTE access point transmissions (i.e., the WiFi access point isused to identify and select a channel for transmissions on behalf of theLAA-LTE access point). In various embodiments, the small cell designprovides solutions relating to channel media access procedures for theLAA-LTE access point, through the WiFi access points. In someembodiments, the access points are integrated and simple newfunctionality is provided to each access point to support the activitiesof the present disclosure. To achieve better results for channelselection, the LAA-LTE and WiFi APs may be co-located in the same smallcell and communicate with one another to exchange lists of detectedchannels, along with information such as channel IDs, received signalstrength indication (RSSI), signal to noise interference ration (SNIR),etc., in some embodiments. Such complimentary information from the otherco-locating APs allows an AP to develop a more complete picture of thecurrent channel allocation and RF environment in some embodiments, thusenabling the AP to select a channel that has no or minimal overlap withnot just its own system (WiFi or LAA-LTE), but also the other systems aswell.

Referring specifically to FIG. 18, an example configuration isillustrated for LWA that includes a collocated 802.11ac AP, anLTE-U/Pre-LAA interface with an external radio component carrier (RCC),and time division multiplexing (TDM) operation of an AP and externalRCC, according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 19, an exampleconfiguration is illustrated for LWA that includes a collocated 802.11acAP, dual licensed carriers, and independent operation of an 802.11ac APusing an External RCC, according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG.20, an example configuration is illustrated for LWA that has concurrentLWA and LTE-U/LAA support according to some embodiments. The LWAconfiguration includes a collocated or non-collocated 802.11ac AP, anLTE-U/LAA interface with dual integrated RCC, and independent operationof an AP and integrated RCC, in one or more embodiments. Thecommunications are managed by multiband radio frequency integratedcircuits (RFIC) while the processing of the various processes describedherein is executed by a small cell system on chip (SoC) in someembodiments.

In various embodiments, any illustrated chips or processors may be, orinclude, one or more microprocessors, application specific integratedcircuits (ASICs), circuits containing one or more processing components,a group of distributed processing components, circuitry for supporting amicroprocessor, or other hardware configured for processing. Theprocessors are configured to execute computer code stored in memory tocomplete and facilitate the activities described herein. Memories areany volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium capable ofstoring data or computer code relating to the activities describedherein. For example, the memories may include modules that are computercode modules (e.g., executable code, object code, source code, scriptcode, machine code, etc.) configured for execution by the processor.According to some embodiments, the processing circuits may represent acollection of processing devices (e.g., servers, data centers, etc.). Insuch cases, the processors represent the collective processors of thedevices and the memories represent the collective storage devices of thedevices. When executed by the processors, the processing circuits areconfigured to complete the activities described herein. In someembodiments, channel selectors and/or schedulers may be implementedinside of memory or outside of memory (e.g., using hardware-basedcircuitry).

The disclosure is described above with reference to drawings. Thesedrawings illustrate certain details of specific embodiments thatimplement the systems and methods and programs of the presentdisclosure. However, describing the disclosure with drawings should notbe construed as imposing on the disclosure any limitations that may bepresent in the drawings. The present disclosure contemplates methods,systems and program products on any machine-readable storage media foraccomplishing its operations. The embodiments of the present disclosuremay be implemented using an existing computer processor, or by a specialpurpose computer processor incorporated for this or another purpose. Noclaim element herein is to be construed as a “means plus function”element unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “meansfor.” Furthermore, no element, component or method operation in thepresent disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardlessof whether the element, component or method operation is explicitlyrecited in the claims.

Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure includemachine-readable storage media for carrying or having machine-executableinstructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readablestorage media can be any available media that can be accessed by ageneral purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with aprocessor. By way of example, such machine-readable storage media caninclude RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD ROM or other optical disk storage,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in theform of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which canbe accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or othermachine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also includedwithin the scope of machine-readable storage media. Machine-executableinstructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purposeprocessing machine to perform a certain function or group of functions.Machine or computer-readable storage media, as referenced herein, do notinclude transitory media (i.e., signals in space).

Embodiments of the disclosure are described in the general context ofmethod operations which may be implemented in some embodiments by aprogram product including machine-executable instructions, such asprogram code, for example, in the form of program modules executed bymachines in networked environments.

It should be noted that although the flowcharts provided herein show aspecific order of method steps, it is understood that the order of theseoperations may differ from what is depicted. Also two or more steps maybe performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variationwill depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designerchoice. It is understood that all such variations are within the scopeof the disclosure.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the disclosure have beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise formdisclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosure. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principalsof the disclosure and its practical application to enable one skilled inthe art to utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and withvarious modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A transceiver node comprising: circuitryconfigured to: receive a plurality of internet protocol (IP) datapackets from an IP network; separate the plurality of IP data packetsinto a first set of IP data packets and a second set of IP data packets,according to channel conditions of a cellular network and a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN); and transmit, to a user device, the first setof IP data packets using a cellular network protocol of the cellularnetwork and the second set of IP data packets using a WLAN protocol ofthe WLAN, causing the user device to: receive the first set of IP datapackets through the cellular network and the second set of IP datapackets through the WLAN, and combine the first set of IP data packetstransmitted using the cellular network protocol and the second set of IPdata packets transmitted using the WLAN protocol into a combined set ofIP data packets.
 2. The transceiver node of claim 1, wherein the firstset of IP data packets is transmitted simultaneously with the second setof IP data packets.
 3. The transceiver node of claim 1, wherein each ofthe first set of IP data packets and the second set of IP data packetsis transmitted in sequence to the user device.
 4. The transceiver nodeof claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to use a hash functionto separate the IP data packets, the hash function associated with atleast one of source IP address, source port number, destination IPaddress, destination port number, or protocol.
 5. The transceiver nodeof claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whethereach of the plurality of IP data packets belongs to a flow for whichthere was at least another packet forwarded to the cellular network orthe WLAN.
 6. The transceiver node of claim 5, wherein the circuitry isconfigured to: responsive to determining that an IP data packet belongsto the flow for which there was the at least another packet forwarded tothe cellular network or the WLAN, transmit the IP data packet throughthe same network as the at least another packet.
 7. The transceiver nodeof claim 1, wherein the channel conditions are detected according tomeasurements of channel activity statistics obtained from the cellularnetwork and the WLAN.
 8. The transceiver node of claim 7, wherein thechannel activity statistics comprise at least one of packet error rates,data rates or channel loading data.
 9. The transceiver node of claim 1,wherein the circuitry is configured to compare a channel condition ofthe cellular network with a channel condition of the WLAN.
 10. Thetransceiver node of claim 1, wherein separating the plurality of IP datapackets comprises distributing more IP data packets to one of the firstset of IP data packets and the second set of IP data packets associatedwith a better channel condition.
 11. A user device, comprising:circuitry configured to: provide, by an application on the user device,a plurality of internet protocol (IP) data packets; separate theplurality of IP data packets into a first set of IP data packets and asecond set of IP data packets, according to channel conditions of acellular network and a wireless local area network (WLAN); and transmit,to a transceiver node, the first set of IP data packets using a cellularnetwork protocol of the cellular network and the second set of IP datapackets using a WLAN protocol of the WLAN, causing the transceiver nodeto: receive the first set of IP data packets through the cellularnetwork and the second set of IP data packets through the WLAN, andcombine the first set of IP data packets transmitted using the cellularnetwork protocol and the second set of IP data packets transmitted usingthe WLAN protocol into a combined set of IP data packets.
 12. The userdevice of claim 11, wherein the first set of IP data packets aretransmitted to an Long Term Evolution (LTE interface of the transceivernode via a Data Radio Bearer (DRB).
 13. The user device of claim 12,wherein the LTE interface comprises a Packet Data Convergence Protocol(PDCP) circuit, a Radio Link Control (RLC) circuit, and a media accesscontrol/physical layer (MAC/PHY) circuit.
 14. The user device of claim11, wherein the first set of IP data packets is transmittedsimultaneously with the second set of IP data packets.
 15. The userdevice of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to: transmit thesecond set of IP data packets to a WLAN access point interface in theWLAN; and transmit the second set of IP data packets from the WLANaccess point interface to the transceiver node via an IPsec tunnel. 16.A transceiver node, comprising: circuitry configured to: receive, from auser device, a first set of internet protocol (IP) data packets througha cellular network; receive, from the user device, a second set of IPdata packets through a wireless local area network (WLAN); combine thefirst set of IP data packets and the second set of IP data packets intoa third set of IP data packets; and transmit the third set of IP datapackets to an IP network.
 17. The transceiver node of claim 16, whereinthe first set of IP data packets is received simultaneously with thesecond set of IP data packets.
 18. The transceiver node of claim 16,wherein each of the first set of IP data packets and the second set ofIP data packets is received in sequence.
 19. The transceiver node ofclaim 16, wherein combining the first set of IP data packets and thesecond set of IP data packets starts before receipt of all of the firstset of IP data packets and the second set of IP data packets at thetransceiver node.
 20. The transceiver node of claim 16, wherein thecellular network comprises a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, andwherein the IP network is different from the cellular network.